(Last updated on May 29, 2026)
Firenze University Press (FUP) supports the Diamond Open Access model as a fundamental pillar for a democratic, equitable, and sustainable dissemination of scientific knowledge. In line with its institutional mission and the latest European and international directives on Open Science, FUP offers the journals in its catalogue the opportunity to choose between two different publishing models:
Gold Road: Open access to content with affordable fees charged to authors (Article Processing Charges – APCs).
Diamond Road: Completely free open access and publication for both authors and readers (NO APCs), removing all financial barriers for both groups.
The journals published by FUP, USiena PRESS, UdA University Press, and Perugia Stranieri University Press that meet the requirements for Diamond Open Access (DOA) recognition, feature an explicit declaration on their respective portals, while Gold OA journals provide a clear indication of the applicable Article Processing Charges (APCs).
Core Principles of Diamond Open Access
● Inclusivity and Absence of Fees (No APCs): The publication of articles and scientific contributions in FUP’s Diamond Open Access journals incurs no cost to authors. This ensures that every researcher has the opportunity to publish regardless of their financial resources or institutional affiliation.
● Free and Immediate Access: All published content is made available online immediately, permanently, and free of charge to readers worldwide, without the need for subscriptions, registrations, or embargo periods.
● Institutional Sustainability: This non-commercial publishing model is supported by public and institutional funding. This ensures maximum editorial independence, placing the scientific community at the heart of the publishing process.
● Quality and Scientific Rigor: Adopting the Diamond model does not mean compromising on the highest editorial standards. Every publication undergoes a rigorous peer-review process and adheres to the international ethical criteria established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Diamond Open Access Criteria
On a strictly technical and operational level, the policy translates into a framework of standardized requirements governing the inclusion of journals within the Diamond Discovery Hub (DDH).
1. Persistent identification: The journal should have a valid and confirmed ISSN.
2. Scholarly journal: The journal should be a scholarly journal that selects papers via an explicitly described evaluation process before and/or after publication, in line with accepted practices in the relevant discipline (See also DOAS ).
3. Open Access with open licenses: All outputs of the journal should be Open Access and carry an open license that is included in the article-level metadata.
4. No fees: Publication in the journal is not contingent on the payment of fees of any kind (e.g. article processing charges or membership dues). The journal should state this as such on its webpage. Voluntary author contributions and donations are allowed, if this is not a condition for publication.
5. Open to all authors: Authorship in the journal should not be limited to any type of affiliation. Any author can submit an article that is in line with the aims and scope of the journal.
6. Community-owned: The journal title must be owned by public or not-for-profit organisations (or parts thereof) whose mission includes performing or promoting research and scholarship. These include but are not limited to research performing organisations (RPOs), research funding organisations (RFOs), organisations connected to RPOs (university libraries, university presses, faculties, and departments), research institutes, and scholarly societies. The journal should explain its ownership status on its webpage.
Source: Operational Diamond OA Criteria for Journals – DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12721408
International Framework
This policy is situated within the context of key international milestones and declarations that enshrine the institutional recognition of the Diamond Open Access model as a common good. It incorporates the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), which promotes support for non-profit, academic, and community-driven publishing models.
Furthermore, the DOA model finds operational alignment in the Action Plan for Diamond Open Access (2022), developed with the aim of expanding a sustainable global scholarly communication ecosystem, and the Toluca-Cape Town Declaration on Diamond Open Access (2024). The latter, in particular, elevates the Diamond model from a technical choice to a pillar of social justice, framing open publishing as an indispensable tool for democratizing access to scientific knowledge.
To learn more about the initiatives FUP participates in as a Diamond Open Access publisher, please visit the page: Diamond Open Access